How Much Is a Parking Ticket in San Diego? (2025 Fine Amounts)

San Diego issued 482,449 parking citations in just the first nine months of 2024. That pace — roughly 1,800 tickets per day — reflects a city with aggressive, well-funded parking enforcement and a fine schedule that stings. If you've just gotten a ticket in San Diego, or you're trying to figure out what the penalty will be before you decide whether to contest, here's what the current fine amounts look like.

San Diego Parking Fine Schedule (2024–2025)

These are base fines. California state surcharges and local assessments are added on top of the base, which is why the amount on your actual citation often looks different from the base fine listed in city schedules.

Street Sweeping: San Diego's Most Common Violation

Street sweeping violations at $62.50 are among the most frequently issued citations in San Diego. In the first nine months of 2024, sweeping tickets accounted for 15% of all citations (76,955 tickets), generating over $4 million in fines.

San Diego strictly enforces the full posted time block for street sweeping — parking after the sweeper has passed but within the posted hours is still a violation. Unlike San Francisco, which allows some flexibility once the sweeper has come through, San Diego does not.

If you're contesting a street sweeping ticket in San Diego, your strongest arguments are:

• The block had missing or obscured signage (CVC § 22507.6 requires adequate notice)
• The ticket time falls outside the posted sweeping hours (screenshot the official schedule as evidence)

The New Daylighting Law (AB 413): A Growing Source of Citations

As of January 1, 2025, California Vehicle Code § 22500(n) prohibits parking within 20 feet of the vehicle approach side of any crosswalk — whether or not the curb is painted red. This is the "Daylighting Law," enacted as Assembly Bill 413.

San Diego began issuing Daylighting violations in early 2025. The base fine is $65.00 with total fees bringing the citation to approximately $77.50. The critical thing to understand: the curb does not need to be painted red for this law to apply. If you parked near a corner — even at a corner with a white or unpainted curb — and you were within 20 feet of the crosswalk approach, the citation is valid under the new law.

The "I didn't see any red paint" defense no longer applies for crosswalk-adjacent parking.

Disabled Parking Zone Violations

Parking in a disabled (blue curb) zone without a valid placard or license plate is the most expensive routine parking violation in California. The minimum fine under CVC § 22507.8 is $250, and it can exceed $1,000 in certain circumstances, with a portion going to the Disability Access and Education Fund.

There is one specific defense: if you held a valid placard at the time of the citation but failed to properly display it, CVC § 40226 allows the agency to reduce the penalty to a maximum administrative fee of $25 instead of the full fine. You must provide the citation, your valid placard, and the placard registration card. If the placard belonged to a passenger, a written statement from the placard holder confirming their presence is typically required.

What Happens If You Don't Pay

San Diego's unpaid citation escalation is straightforward:

1. After 21 days without payment or contest: Delinquency penalty added — fines approximately double.
2. DMV registration hold: Under CVC § 4760, unpaid citations block vehicle registration renewal. San Diego reports unpaid accounts to the City Treasurer and the DMV.
3. Collections: Long-unpaid tickets go to collection agencies, adding collection fees and potential credit impacts.

San Diego's portal allows you to check the current balance — including any penalties already added — at sandiego.gov/parking/citations. If the fine has gone delinquent, check your current balance before deciding next steps.

How to Contest a San Diego Parking Ticket

San Diego follows California's three-stage appeal process under CVC § 40215:

Step 1 — Initial Review: Submit your written appeal online at sandiego.gov/parking/citations/appeal within 21 calendar days of the citation. No payment is required at this stage. San Diego places the citation on hold during review.

Step 2 — Administrative Hearing: If your Initial Review is denied, you can request a hearing within 21 days of the review decision. The full fine amount must be deposited in advance. A neutral hearing officer reviews the case.

Step 3 — Superior Court: Within 30 days of the Administrative Hearing decision, you can file a civil appeal at San Diego Superior Court. Filing fee: $25.

San Diego Parking Administration phone: (866) 470-1308 Mailing address: Parking Administration, P.O. Box 129038, San Diego, CA 92112-9038

Should You Contest a San Diego Parking Ticket?

Street sweeping at $62.50 is a borderline case — the fine is real but not catastrophic, and the appeal process takes time. The calculation shifts if:

• You have a genuine legal defense (missing signage, broken meter under CVC § 22508.5, factual error on the citation)
• The fine has been doubled by a delinquency penalty you want to challenge
• You are a frequent street parker in San Diego and want to establish the process for future reference

Disabled zone violations ($250+) are almost always worth contesting if you have a valid placard defense under CVC § 40226. The potential savings are significant.

The California Parking Ticket Dispute Guide includes the specific San Diego contest portal process, violation-by-violation defense strategies, and the appeal letter language that works at the Administrative Hearing stage — where legitimate cases succeed at a higher rate than in the Initial Review.

Get the California Parking Ticket Dispute Guide